(This article is contributed by Miss Tan Sio Ling, Head of Department
PE/CCA of Edgefield Secondary School.)
29 taekwondo students accompanied by 2 teachers and 2 Singapore
Taekwondo Federation coaches embarked on a 6-day learning journey to Seoul, Korea,
during the September school holidays. The objectives of the learning journey
were to
- offer a
differential training experience to the team by training with the local Sports Schoolso as to increase students’ interest and enhance their skills in the sport, - improve
in the level of coaching for the teachers-in-charge and coaches by observing
and studying the good practices and the structures of the local school’s
training programs and - develop
team bonding and camaraderie spirit among the students through the trip and
provide opportunities for them to learn to be independent
During the trip, the group
visited 2 schools, Seoul Physical EducationMiddle School and Seoul Sports University, for a campus
tour and also to find out about their sports training program. These 2 schools
hold a high prestige in sports in Seouland we were awed by the incredible Olympic-standard sports facilities that
their students got to train in.
The students also had the opportunity
to train with a taekwondo expert, Master Park, from Kukkiwon. His lesson was fun, interesting and packed
with different combinations of kicks and punches. He also educated the students
on values that they could learn through hard training and that there was “no
sweat, no pain”. It meant that he respected
every individual who came to learn from him, and in return, they had to respect
him by giving their best in their training. At the end of the session, the
students received a certificate from Kukkiwon for their participation in the
training.
On Days 4 and 5, the group went back to Seoul Physical Education Middle
Education for training which was conducted by the black belt students from the school. The training was tough yet interesting as our students
were being introduced to some Kyorugi moves. Also, the black belt experts even
pointed out that our young athletes needed to improve on their basics before
they could do the complicated moves. This served as a good lesson to our
students as they became more aware of the hard work and discipline that they
needed to put in to perform better.
Overall, the trip had met its objectives and the students and their
teachers and coaches really bonded as a Taekwondo family!